Let’s see how I’m doing

One writer on the Internet that I really enjoy reading is Seth Godin. Seth almost always has something interesting to say, and the thing I enjoy a lot is that he usually does it with the minimum amount of words possible. I find that I get a lot more out of short blog posts than ones that ramble on and on. So, Seth is usually on my “read” list, although I admit that I don’t read every single blog post that he writes.

Earlier today, I was reading a blog post by my friend Dave, when he mentioned an article from Seth. The article that he mentioned from Seth is entitled “How to Make Money Online,” which is right up my alley, so I went over and gave it a read. Basically, Seth has compiled a nice list of 21 things that you should think about or do if you want to make money online. Go over and read the article, he has some really good thoughts there.

Seth Godin

As for this blog post, I am going to pick out 5 of his suggestions of things that I think I am doing right, and comment on what I am doing or where I stand with his suggestion. I will also pick out a few things that I think I need improvement on and why I need improvement.

Let’s get started.

Things I am doing right

#3 – Get rich slow.

I don’t believe in get rich quick schemes. I believe that we need to work hard for what we achieve, and that it takes time and effort to achieve the things that will make us money. I don’t consider myself “getting rich” at all, but I do make a very nice living, am able to save money, and if I do that long enough, I will have a nice nest egg someday. I feel that I am right on track with this suggestion that Seth offers.

#5 – Focus on Trust

This is something that is very important to me. I offer products and services of many kinds through online sales. But, I never make the hard sale. I focus on building trust with my readers and potential customers. I help people, even for free, when I can. There are things that are way more important to me than “making a sale.” I also offer a full money back guarantee if a person is disappointed in what they buy. I rarely need to give a refund, though, which shows me that I am offering value and good things to those who buy from me.

#6 – Don’t worry so much about the “online” part. Instead, figure out how to create value. The online part will take care of itself.

So true! Not only do I follow this, but I also preach it regularly. A lot of people approach me and think that if they just do something online, the money will start overflowing from their bank account. Nothing could be further from the truth. The keys to success are no different online than in the “real world.” Work hard, provide value, and be trustworthy. It takes time, but when you focus on these things, that is when you will start to see nice results from your efforts.

#12 – Build an online legacy that increases in value daily.

Yes, yes, yes! I feel that over the past 6 to 10 years I have done this, and done it very well. Am I finished doing this? No, this is something that you are never finished with, you have to keep working at it to improve the daily increase in value. But, even if I were to pass away suddenly, I feel that I have built an online empire that will continue providing for my family for years to come.

#14 – Become the best in the world at something that people value.

It is pretty boastful to say “I am the best in the world” about anything. However, I feel that when it comes to my most important niche, how to move to the Philippines, retire in the Philippines and such, I have become one of the primary resources in the world that people tap for information about how to do it. Am I the best in the world? I would not say that. But, I do know that I have been very successful in the niche, and am a leading source of such information. I am not trying to brag or build myself up beyond what I am, I just feel that it is a fact. If you search on Google for keywords within that niche, I generally can be found at #1, or at least somewhere on the front page. So, I feel comfortable to say that I am a leader in this niche. Whether I am the best or “among the best” is something that I will let others decide.

Where I need improvement

#1 – The first thing is to stop Googling things like “how to make money online.”

Truth is, I never have really done these types of searching. I was making money online 20 years ago, even before Google existed. So, while I am not doing this… I have not improved much, because I never did this. 😉

#8 – Build a public reputation, a good one.

While I think that I have a good reputation overall, I find that the longer you do something, and the better you get at it, the more enemies you gain as well. A lot of it is due to jealousy, many people are jealous of the success you have achieved, especially if they have been unable to do that themselves. On top of this, when I discover that somebody has become an enemy (they talk bad about me behind my back, and such), I find that I just write them off and ignore them. Perhaps part of building (and maintaining) that good reputation is that I should talk to such people and make sure that they are not just reacting to a rumor, or haven’t misinterpreted something to come up with a negative opinion of me.

#13 – Make Money Offline

I am not sure what Seth means on this. He might mean that you should start by earning money offline, and transferring those skills to online. I have spent years of my life working in the brick and mortar world, and I understand it. But, for the past 12 years or so, I make my income strictly online. Now, that may fit in with what Seth says, or perhaps he may mean that you should always keep a foot in the real world. I confess that I don’t have that foot in the real world, I am only online when it comes to earning.

So, those are my personal reactions to Seth’s suggestions of how to make money online. How about you, do you have any of your success stories or failures that you can share?

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About Bob Martin

Bob Martin, AKA "MindanaoBob" is an Internet Entrepreneur. Bob is an American, but has been living in the Philippines since May of 2000. Bob is the owner of many popular websites, mostly related in some way to the Philippines. Bob is a regular Jeepney rider, and enjoys the experience!